Nice desire to remain with Thuram for another season has reportedly hurt Liverpool’s pursuit of the midfielder this summer.
The 22-year-old center midfielder played in 35 Ligue 1 games for Le Gym last season, contributing six assists in addition to two goals.
Thuram, whose last club match was a 2-0 loss for Nice against Strasbourg on May 13, is currently on international duty with France Under-21s as they attempt to win the European Championship title for that particular age group.
Thuram played 65 minutes before being substituted by Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki as Sylvain Ripoll’s team defeated Italy on Thursday to earn all three points in Group D.
Thuram will reportedly remain at Nice for another season, and Nice’s choice might have a significant impact on Liverpool’s summer market.
Jurgen Klopp is still interested in bolstering his team’s engine room in preparation for the upcoming season, despite signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month.
A number of midfielders, notably Naby Keita and the seasoned James Milner, have left Liverpool. The 37-year-old has moved down to the Amex as the Seagulls aim to win the Europa League next season under Roberto De Zerbi.
It is said that Thuram is not the only midfielder the Merseyside club is interested in signing. The Reds are also rumored to have made a £47 million approach for Real Madrid’s starlet Aurelien Tchouameni, though it is anticipated that Los Blancos will only allow the Frenchman to depart for a price closer to £68 million.
According to the report, the Nice midfielder won’t decide on his future until after this summer’s international duty with France is over, therefore Liverpool may need to wait until the middle of July to find out if the player is interested in joining them at Anfield.
Romeo Lavia is reportedly the next player who will travel the well-traveled route from Southampton to Merseyside, and Jurgen Klopp’s team is debating whether to compete with Arsenal for his services.
Although his encouraging performances were unable to stop the South Coast club from being demoted to the Championship, the 19-year-old drew the attention of the Saints during his first season as a regular starter in the Premier League.
Thuram has played 138 times for Nice since coming on a free transfer from Monaco in the summer of 2019, making him the more experienced midfielder when compared to Lavia.
The player has played for France’s senior team once, in a one-minute cameo against the Netherlands; but, a move to the Premier League would improve his prospects of becoming a fixture in Didier Deschamps’s squad sooner rather than later.
